LAGOS – Stakeholders in the maritime industry on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to redefine the roles of parastatals in the industry to avoid conflict of functions.
The stakeholders made the plea in a communique after a two-day annual conference in Lagos.
The conference was organised by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Nigeria in Lagos.
The communique said the roles of the National Inland Waterways Authority; Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) should be clearly defined to avoid conflict.
The communique also suggested that the NSC should be strengthened to perform its regulatory functions.
It urged that the National Transport Policy should be fast-tracked by establishing an Independent National Transport Commission.
The communique added that intermodal connectivity should be encouraged.
“Regulation is mandatory and total; it has no dichotomy. If you improve transportation, you improve the Nigerian economy,’’ the communique said.
It said the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) should be deregulated for effective performance.
The communique observed that unethical practices remained the bane of economic regulation in Nigeria because it hindered market forces from working adequately.
It suggested that the regulators in the transport industry must consult extensively with stakeholders on pricing and other charges.[eap_ad_2]
According to the communiqué, infrastructure must be evidently available before transport regulatory agencies can sanction operators.
“There is so much lawlessness in the transport industry due to lack of regulation.
“For instance, predatory pricing by transport operators who don’t follow due process poses threat to operators with good business intentions
“The duplication of roles and functions of existing regulatory agencies as practiced in Nigeria negates global best practice,’’ the communique said.
It said that human capacity development and utilisation were essential for effective regulatory environment in the transport sector.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference paper was delivered by the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NSC, Mr Hassan Bello.
Bello was represented by Mrs. Dabney Shall-Holma, a director of the Nigeria Shippers’ Council.
The theme of the conference was “Commercial Regulation and the National Economy: Global Best Practice Implementation Strategy in the Transport Sector’’. (NAN)[eap_ad_3]
